I thought I'd start a thread for those of us dealing with celiac and gluten intolerance issues.I'm off gluten about 2 weeks now. I think I can do it this time. What affect does it have on you?with me I get acid reflux, and indigestion and stomach pain.. I don't get D from it but it affects me also mentally by causing irritability, anxiety and also I get rashes from it. All of the symptoms stop when I stop it.

If I eat anything containing gluten, my heart beats faster, my pulse goes way up, I get sinus headaches, I have to start clearing my throat because of phlegm, my nose runs, my stomach bloats like a water balloon and usually hurts. I crave bread. I love bread. I don't have celiac but do have either gluten allergy or intolerance. Gluten showed up on skin allergy tests and also showed up on both IgG blood tests, taken a year apart, as an avoid that is causing inflammation in my body. Gluten is hidden in so many things.

IfI have to start clearing my throat because of phlegm, my nose runs, my stomach bloats like a water balloon and usually hurts.

I get those symptoms from dairy, which I need to give up next. Every time I eat cheese, I get a stuffed up nose for 2 hours. I can barely tolerate yogurt. I also sleep better when I'm eating wheat..because of the drug affect. Now that I'm off it, I'm not sleeping well. But my general engery is better off it.

I am tired low energy too , eye allergy and after a while on gluten free diet, every slip out dermatits seborrhoica, because of gut imbalance very hard to heal also six months for tiny mistakes. Gluten plus dairy is the complete shut odff of my defences a cold become a sinusitis and otitis or like that. I had otitis bulosa hemorrhagica 10 years ago, nearly new to gluten free and BTD

If I eat my favorite pre-BTD (organic wheat, sea salt, water) artisan bread maybe once a month, as in a piece of toast with ghee and peanut butter, I don't have a bad reaction. As mentioned above, the problem lies in wanting it more often, causing phlegm, mucous, stomach aches and a general drain of my energy. My IgE test showed I was intolerant to wheat, yeast, cow and goat dairy.I can eat Greek yogurt, sheep(manchego) and parmesan cheese without problems but no other dairy or I will cough and be stuffed up from the mucous. So, obviously when I did the 3 month wash out of all these avoids I was in great shape... very hungry but no other problems. (just chronic nasal polyps)

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

If I eat my favorite pre-BTD (organic wheat, sea salt, water) artisan bread maybe once a month, as in a piece of toast with ghee and peanut butter, I don't have a bad reaction.

I'm the same way, even though I'm a Warrior I can have a few servings of wheat without reacting.I can probably do one or 2 servings a week without digestive trouble. Wheat is one of my beneificial foods. I see the love/hate relationship with my body because when I don't eat wheat, I don't sleep as well. I sleep much better when eating it. My stomach doesn't like it though. I was tested for the IgE and it was negative for intolerance. I did test positive to a grass allergy and wheat is a grass . I noticed that I can tolerate wheat a lot more in the winter than spring/summer.

When I eat cow yogurt, I get a slight stuffiness but nothing like when I eat cheese. Good thing I'm not a Teacher or I'd be upset. My only cheeses are paneer, feta and farmer. I can't even find quark cheese in the stores. Ricotta is a neutral thank goodness.

and otitis or like that. I had otitis bulosa hemorrhagica 10 years ago, nearly new to gluten free and BTD

Can you have peanut butter? Peanut butter is healing for the ear. It gives great hearing. I read this in a whole foods for health book, and I agree because, I love peanut butter and have eaten it regularly all my life and I have hearing that's too good actually. I never had any infections, only ear wax. Since I've been on the BTD, I went from having to clean my wax out from every 1-1 1/2 years to 9 years.

I have tested sensitive to a variety of food including gluten, dairy, eggs and yeast. Never figured out what caused what symptoms but stopped getting hayfever (grass/trees) once I was off gluten/dairy, sugar and it came back when I ate it.Symptoms that I remember, still get a few but haven't figured out what causes them:Brain fog,irritable/mild depression, pulse goes up, stuffy nose, sinus pain more so in cheeks, phlegm in throat, migraine, runny nose, stomach bloats. Believe dermatits rash I had in my early 20's was probably caused by it, around mouth would come and go. Low blood pressure that went to normal after change in diet.

I also started getting dry eye few years ago but don't know if that is just menopause related.

Lin,What is your genotype? Just curious. Mayflowers, you and I all crave bread. I know many people do but being A's and technically having the stomachs for it..we actually don't ..or should not eat bread.

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Cajun,Depending on how I tick off the boxes I'm Teacher most of the time, sometimes Explorer.What did you mean with "Mayflowers, you and I all crave bread. I know many people do but being A's and technically having the stomachs for it..we actually don't ..or should not eat bread"?

Drea, Thanks - that was what I thought about A's and grains, probably is what Cajun meant.I suspect when our good bacteria is not in balance bread with it's yeast is probably not helpful, or at least that is what I suspect for myself. Probiotics help a lot.Lin

For bread cravers, I suggest making flax bread. Sometimes it's the memory of bread that we want...Flax bread is yummy toasted with ghee on top....or with peanut butter...any nut butter and workswell if you want to make a sandwich. I make a few batches and freeze in portions. Easy to heat upor toast one slice. I sometimes do eat a sandwich made with gluten free bread but most of it isn'tvery appealing. I find eating more beans and starchy vegetables like butternut squash, carrots,beets and other root veggies has stopped me from wanting grains. Even a plate of peas can distractme from grains.

I've been off gluten going on 8 years this month and honestly, the thought of bread isn't on my radarscreen anymore.. Some days I don't even eat grains at all. I honestly think it's a yeast overgrowth problem that bread cravers are experiencing. It's probably also sugar and everything carb-y that feeds yeast. The symptoms of sinus issues, aches, pains and bloat is generally an issue with candida. Any time I wanted something overly carb-y, I know it was unbalanced gut flora.

I know I didn't start off this way....I used to be able to eat gluten grains until I was treated for Lymedisease in the early 90s and had many rounds of abx. After that I had a chronically inflamed gut..symptoms of celiac...I think once I had so much gut irritation, the gluten just eroded my intestinaltract even further. Same thing happened to my oldest son after he too was treated with a long abxprotocol because of Lyme.

The result of gluten damage made me incredibly intolerant to dairy. Casein intolerance and glutenintolerance co-exist in many gluten intolerant individuals.

I've been taking an enzyme formula called Gluten Ease. I take it when I eat a compliant cheese...because it helps to digest casein from dairy as well as gluten from grains.....

This one product has changed my life.....has allowed me to tolerate the one and only cheese that isbeneficial....manchego....And the only reason I've tried to force my body to tolerate any cheese isbecause a low overgrowth cheese in a Teacher's diet helps to heal the gut. I'm finding this to be true.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Chloe,I agree with you on the high probability of it being due to yeast overgrowth problem that some of us crave bread. And that sadly, the sugar/carb food feeds yeast. I will try to remind myself when I get the carb craving that it is the yeast issue.

I have the casein intolerance too and for a long time I've avoided all cow's dairy. But I've been wanting to try some dairy because like you I keep re-reading that sentence that says a low overgrowth cheese in a Teacher's diet helps to heal the gut.I also recently thought of trying the Gluten Ease with cheese but only today tried it with greek yogurt (do you find you can eat yogurt? I took a gluten Ease along with it hoping it will help. I could feel a very slight stuffy feeling in the nose but I'm crossing my fingers on this experiment .I'm glad to hear you are finding the cheese is helping heal your gut.Lin

Chloe,I agree with you on the high probability of it being due to yeast overgrowth problem that some of us crave bread. And that sadly, the sugar/carb food feeds yeast. I will try to remind myself when I get the carb craving that it is the yeast issue.

I have the casein intolerance too and for a long time I've avoided all cow's dairy. But I've been wanting to try some dairy because like you I keep re-reading that sentence that says a low overgrowth cheese in a Teacher's diet helps to heal the gut.I also recently thought of trying the Gluten Ease with cheese but only today tried it with greek yogurt (do you find you can eat yogurt? I took a gluten Ease along with it hoping it will help. I could feel a very slight stuffy feeling in the nose but I'm crossing my fingers on this experiment .I'm glad to hear you are finding the cheese is helping heal your gut.Lin

I seem to do better on manchego because it's a raw sheep's milk cheese. I only have 3 beneficialdairy food choices. Ghee, yogurt and manchego. Given yogurt is from cow's milk, I haven't quitegotten past the stuffy nose although it does help to take Gluten Ease along with it...Manchegodoesn't cause any negative symptoms (but still I take Gluten Ease with it too). I just can'ttolerate any dairy unless I take that particular enzyme along with it. I've tried and it's impossible.

So the issue I think is compounded for many of us....I think dairy intolerance is from a lack of the proper enzyme, a digestive system that was probably first damaged by antibiotics, long termdysbiosis, some form of candida whether it's overtly obvious or not....not following our diet 100%and never healing the gut fully. For Teachers, a double edged sword...eating dairy but not digestingdairy possibly because our guts are too damaged to create the right enzymes or we're simply notdigesting anything very well and gluten/dairy just adds more inflammation. A leaky gut means thatundigested proteins are circulating in our bloodstream, causing inflammation systemically.

As much as this appears that it's the fault of gluten....I remember eating gluten for ages and neverhad a problem until something obviously did damage to my gut....and caused me to wind up withso much inflammation that I keep blaming it on gluten intolerance. I'm too afraid to ever eat glutenagain but everything I've read on enzymes tells me that this isn't the solution....Swami gives mea few gluten grains. I would like to be able to eat rye bread...100% rye and spelt and grains thataren't hybrid wheat or GMO grains.

I'm still working on this. I just think too many people are calling themselves gluten intolerant forreasons that are different from a genetic component of gluten intolerance. We eliminate gluten...we start to heal...we say to ourselves "yes, I'm gluten intolerant...." but I don't believe this is truefor me...I think I became gluten intolerant and somehow I'm determined to be able to eat it againwhen I feel brave enough to try a non GMO gluten grain....a little at a time, taking the Gluten Easeenzyme along with it. Not quite ready...but I WILL do it...

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Chloe,Most of what you've written applies to me. I have done a gluten, dairy and yeast test with Enterolab and that convinced me to keep gluten out of my diet. I suffered with Hayfever from age 3 (trees and grass pollent). But when I stopped eating gluten and dairy the hayfever stopped. But I didn't connect it the first year until I was helping out at my children's school and ate regular bread and all they hayfever symptoms kicked in. Then the next day when I went back to GF/DF the symptoms went away.I also used to get awful mucus with colds, and started getting bronchities in my late 30's. I don't have those issues anymore. So definite food connection. I think you are right on the yeast/candida- leaky gut connection also.I have bought manchego cheese and perhaps tomorrow will try that with the Gluten Ease. am going to try that with the gluten ease.Lin

Hi Drea and Lin! Yes, thanks, that is exactly what I meant. As A's we have the stomachs for grains that most of the other blood types don't.But, there are many of us that are at least gluten sensitive, or like Drea, do not do well with processing.BTW, Drea, sourdough...the real stuff...is the one bread I am able to eat within reason that doesn't bother me! The trouble is the "within reason" as I, too, can easily eat a whole loaf of that heavenly food!

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Mayflowers, you and I all crave bread. I know many people do but being A's and technically having the stomachs for it..we actually don't ..or should not eat bread.

This is maddening! We are the ones who should eat bread and we can't!! AHHH! I was going to try to make a sour dough spelt bread, after reading that the sour partiay digests the gluten and makes it edible. I read that in pioneer days, that's how wives made bread, using wild starter and they never had stomach issues from eating wheat. Now, people use the ready made yeast to raise the bread and it does not do the same thing...not as healthy.

I get benefits from wheat. I have sprouted wheat bread as a diamond, and I also have emmer, spelt and kamut as beneficials. I see the benefits when I eat it. I sleep better, I feel calmer. The only issues I have with it are indigestion and rashes. (I have 'lady' issues that only flare up when I eat GMO wheat) I think my problem is more of a wheat allergy (to Frankenwheat?). I was tested for gluten intolerance with a blood test and it was negative... Dr. D told me to stick with spelt and the ancient forms of wheat becuase they can be digested easier. I tend to cheat...Plus the fact that it's a lot more difficult to lose weight eating regular GMO wheat.

I tried making flax bread out of flax seeds. It triggered anxiety attacks every time I ate it.Must be the 'estrogen' like component of it because I had more anxiety when I had higher estrogen levels then now.

I honestly think it's a yeast overgrowth problem that bread cravers are experiencing.

Not with me. I LOVE the taste of wheat bread. I can live on it. Like Drea, I can eat a whole loaf in one sitting. I almost did that with Challah bread once. So with me it's the taste.. I just love the taste of wheat.

Sounds like you and your son were more antibiotic damaged in your intestines, not gluten damaged..the antibiotics destroyed all of your good bacteria and you couldn't digest gluten anymore. Or the Rx triggered a gluten intolerance gene to kick in.

My husband, a newly typed Warrior can't have wheat unless it's sprouted. He craves wheat, loves it too, but when he gave it up, he lost weight rapidly. He can have spelt which I know is a form ofwheat but can't eat anything that is called wheat or white flour.

Read why wheat is addictive for some people. Once I gave up gluten, my love for wheat eventually tapered...but the smell of baking bread....I'm so there...The fact that a grain cancontain both wheat and gluten is also an issue. Without gluten in my system, bread in generalisn't the lure it once was.

Ghee, yogurt and manchego. Given yogurt is from cow's milk, I haven't quitegotten past the stuffy nose although it does help to take Gluten Ease along with it...

I also avoid cow milk products, except for ghee.

Cow yogurt does not work for me! On the other hand, I make my own goat milk yogurt, using Polyflora as the starter. My body loves it and there are no negative reactions as long as I stay moderate with it.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are.Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect tomorrow.~Mary Jean Irion

My husband, a newly typed Warrior can't have wheat unless it's sprouted. He craves wheat, loves it too, but when he gave it up, he lost weight rapidly. He can have spelt which I know is a form of wheat but can't eat anything that is called wheat or white flour.

As for flax causing anxiety, lignans in flax block the estrogen receptors from aromatase....so in essence, eating flax doesn't raise estrogen but block estrogen receptors from allowing estrogento do damage.

Then your DH eats spelt? Does he have any problems with Frankenwheat? Interesting if he lost weight stopping the Frankenwheat but still eating Spelt wheat.

All I know is flax caused anxiety attacks with me. If it wasn't any estrogen like substance in it, then it must be some kind of allergic reaction. I can't tolerate flax oil period. I get migraines from it and D. Bad reaction. I tried it a couple of times. Not good. I think it's too strong for me.

Then your DH eats spelt? Does he have any problems with Frankenwheat? Interesting if he lost weight stopping the Frankenwheat but still eating Spelt wheat.

All I know is flax caused anxiety attacks with me. If it wasn't any estrogen like substance in it, then it must be some kind of allergic reaction. I can't tolerate flax oil period. I get migraines from it and D. Bad reaction. I tried it a couple of times. Not good. I think it's too strong for me.

Yes he eats spelt, hasn't eaten any GMO grains or wheat since he began his SWAMI which is about8 weeks go....He seems to be doing okay on spelt but we'll see when he goes back to Dr. D nextmonth. He's mostly eating brown rice as a grain and oats in granola....I make his sandwiches onspelt bread and he likes the spelt English muffins with eggs a few mornings a week. He can'thave millet which disappointed him because we had great millet/flax bagels from Samy's bakeryin Tampa. His digestive system doesn't seem to be great at the moment, but can't tell if that'sdetox or what. As I said, will find out when he sees Dr. D. And he's a nonnie which presents itsown issues. Are nonnies generally gluten intolerant, do you know?

As for flax....I was told to use flax oil with lecithin/juice...as in membrane fluidizer....purpose isto get cell wall soft so nutrients are better absorbed. Flax oil might be what's going through DH's gut too rapidly. He's a Warrior like you.....so perhaps I'm now seeing what he's reallynot tolerating as he winds up with new issues. He didn't have real digestive issues before starting the diet. Now he's moving his bowels sometimes 5-6 times a day...Not having D though.He always seems to have high anxiety....He's taking Tranquility Base 2x a day per Dr. D...Don'talways notice that it works. Do Warriors have more anxiety than Teachers? (sorry, don't expectyou to know the answers to all these questions...just putting questions out there)

I don't do particularly well on flax seeds unless they're baked whole into a bread or muffin. IfI grind them and add water to them and drink it down, I wind up with a fiber dam in my gut...and get very bloated and gassy.I seem to do better on chia seeds than flax seeds. Still, I bake with flax seeds and sometimeseat flax bread. (although I'm not great on eggs, so that's a rare thing)

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

I know that Ribbit had wheat issues and was off it for a long time. She's a Warrior. I'm not sure if she went back on it, as she seems to not be around anymore. She said it made her irritable. I felt ok on spelt. I have to find some spelt flour and make the starter. I can't find it.. I've been to a few stores already. I can't even find soy flour lately. Annoying. I don't feel like driving all the way to WF just to get it.

As for flax....I was told to use flax oil with lecithin/juice...as in membrane fluidizer..... Do Warriors have more anxiety than Teachers? I don't do particularly well on flax seeds unless they're baked whole into a bread or muffin. If I grind them and add water to them and drink it down, I wind up with a fiber dam in my gut...and get very bloated and gassy.

Since I've been on the BTD, my anxiety is 95% better. Only thing that triggers it now is too much caffeine, which I can tolerate much better now too. I never tried chia seeds. They are a neutral so I didn't want to spend the money on them. I tolerate ground flax seeds in my smoothie..if I use a tablespoon or so. A couple of times I used to much and I was getting anxiety symptoms and I remembered I used flax seeds again. Yes, they also recommended the cell fluidizer to me when I went to the clinic but I knew I couldn't tolerate flax oil so I never tried it. I also remember you telling me that the flax was bothering you and causing anxiety a lot more when you were following the Warrior diet.

Check out my sourdough thread. I want to make wild sourdough starter for spelt bread. I want to see if I can digest that. Maybe your husband would like it.

I bought sprouted spelt flour in my local HFS made by Shiloh......I haven't used it yet....I think I'm going to make muffins for DH. Although making sour dough bread might be great, it's so much work already feeding two people with different genotypes and just having my Spelt bread in the freezer, ready to make him a sandwich for lunch is so easy...He only gets 3 grain portions a day so that's either 3 slices of bread or 1 1/2 cups of grain....so this is not easy thinking if I had a whole loaf of spelt bread baking in the oven that he wouldn't be tempted to cut himself one slice the size of 4 portions....For a carbo junkie giving up his bread for beans and bread for starchy plant proteins, this has not been easy for him...I never realized there is such a huge difference between Teachers and Warriors. He has a huge appetite... I eat, I'm full, my body processes everythingvery slowly....I can go 4 hours without eating. Don't think Warriors can go that long without needingmore food. I'm thinking Warriors are burning their fuel differently....get tired if they've over eaten but also get tired if they're needing fuel....I just see how different it is for DH and I to have eaten similar foods, only for him to finish, want a snack an hour later while I'm so full I can't dream of eating another thing. Even taking our portions into consideration, we're just wired differently.

And because his mother was type O, and his father type A, he seems to require more protein than I do. Protein in large quantities makes me tired...Gives DH energy...and I think you said one of your parents was type O too.

Although DH never seemed to be gluten intolerant, I know he was addicted to foods that containedflour....bread, pizza, rolls, muffins....starch from wheat....yet he wasn't ever a sugar junkie. He oftendidn't like a food that was too sweet. So thank goodness I'm not dealing with someone who iscraving sweets...

Not easy feeding a Warrior.....especially since it's a lot of veggies and beans on his SWAMI...two foods DH hasn't ever liked to eat.

I'm at a total loss trying to make beans and vegetables taste delicious.

What I could use if anyone has a recipe is for a good bean soup using vegetables. He can havetomatoes which to me is a life saver. He always lived on tomato products...unfortunately it wasusually sauce on top of white pasta. No problem though putting a tomato sauce on spelt pasta...Even found white spelt pasta and of course Tinkyada makes a great rice pasta....(well, closer to real pasta than not)

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

I chop up whatever veggies I'm using that day (today I used carrots, zucchini, onions, and butternut squash) and roast in the oven with olive oil and salt. Then I add water, spices, and cooked beans (and a little leftover soup if there is any, so it won't be wasted.) I vary the spices depending on my mood; today I used great northern beans plus powdered ginger, garlic, and parsley. You could add a little tomato paste too if you wanted to, but I never do since I can't have tomatoes.

Bodies are very intelligent. As soon as you put one bite of a food in your mouth, your body knows whether it will be able to digest that food or not. And it acts accordingly. If you can digest that food, your body will start getting ready to receive and work with that food by creating the needed enzymes down through the intestinal tract. Now, you really can't tell if this positive action is happening or not... But, if your body cannot digest that bite of food, a whole different set of reactions gets triggered. The body immediately will go into a defense or immune reaction when it realizes you have put something in it that it can't handle, that it is allergic to or that it can't create the enzymes needed to digest it. And at least one of these reactions is very easy to see. The first line of defense for your body is the creation of mucous. Mucous is a benign substance that surrounds toxic particles to both stop your body from absorbing them and to remove them from your body. And this reaction is swift! It will happen anywhere between 15-20 seconds up to 15-20 minutes! So, you can use this mucous reaction to test foods in your body. Take one bite of a food and sit back and wait. If you get a mucous reaction, you will experience any or all of the following symptoms: mucous in the back of the throat and you'll find yourself trying to clear your throat, coating on the tongue, post-nasal drip, sniffing or sneezing, itchy eyes and a twinge of an upset stomach. If you don't have any of these reactions within 20 minutes, then your body is at least saying it can handle small amounts of that food. If you find you are getting mucousy as you eat, it is your body's way of saying, "Stop. You've had enough of this food!" One of the 'mucous confusions' out there has to do with dairy products. I have heard and read that 'milk forms mucous'. But this isn't true! Milk does not form mucous....but because milk is one of the hardest-to-digest foods, most people's bodies do create mucous as a reaction to drinking milk! So, are you starch-intolerant or gluten-intolerant? Use the mucous test to find out. Try a sip of alfalfa tea. Do you get a reaction? Try a bite of barley. Do you get a reaction? Try one bite of any of the totally sprouted breads on the market that does not have yeast like the (Manna, Sprouts Delight or Rudy's) Essene Bread. If you have a mucous reaction to all of these foods, it is highly likely that you are gluten-intolerant and sprouted flours may still cause you problems. But, if you don't have mucous reactions to all of these foods, then it is more likely that you are starch-intolerant and you probably will not have negative reactions to the use of sprouted flours.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Mayflowers,I get bulgur wheat, whole grain emmer wheat, whole grain kamut and whole grain spelt as beneficials on my swami, also. I love the taste of sourdough and my pre- BTD whole wheat, sea salt and water artisan pascal bread! The trouble with eating those for me is mainly excess mucous. The gmo garbage gives me stomach aches. Maybe once a month I will pull a piece of San Fran sourdough or my old artisan bread out of the freezer and toast it with ghee and peanut or almond butter. Pure deliciousness! I've just learned to listen to my body and "indulge" as infrequently as I can possibly stand it!

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Chloe,Great info on gluten/starch! I roast my veggies, as Ruthie does, then add them to sauteed onions and leeks (in evoo), chicken or turkey or vegetable broth and whatever beans you prefer. I use herbs daily in my cooking (so experiment for your taste) and then sea salt.Ex;Today I have leftover roast turkey so I will add that to the soup pot. I also have some arugula that I used for fresh salads this last week and is now wilty so that will go in the soup, too. I plan to sprinkle some turmeric in along with my fresh thyme and tarragon, too.

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Thank you so much for posting this, Chloe. I know a friend that is about to have their life changed by using this too. I have been meaning to research something that would aid in offsetting the effects of gluten the last few days and hadn't gotten around to it - and here it is!! They are going to be very, very appreciative of this info! They do a tremendous amount of traveling and this will be such a help to them when they can't get the right things to eat. I will keep you posted.....

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." -- Benjamin Franklin

We're all different percentages of our genotypes...I'm sure some part of me has Warrior features..But I know my DH who is a Warrior needs to eat on a regular schedule....or else he gets irritable.

Spring, sometimes this happens to me....I find exactly what I'm needing to know without having to go far tofind it. Sometimes the right thing simply manifests right before my very eyes. :) Let us know how your friend does on Gluten Ease.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

...and I think you said one of your parents was type O too.Not easy feeding a Warrior.....especially since it's a lot of veggies and beans on his SWAMI...two foods DH hasn't ever liked to eat.

No, not my parents. My dad was an AB+ and my mother was an A+ ...Unless you're referring to her being an Ao?

Wow, your DH doesn't like beans and vegetables? I love vegies and beans. I love bean soups, like Cuban Black Bean and Split Pea soup, all the Indian Dahls I love.. If you can get him to eat a bean soup, you can hide vegies in it. Sneaky Chef would use bean puree' and hide it in other foods.

You can hide all sort of good stuff in meals with the help of a friendly blender!

I got really good at hiding stuff when my sons were growing up!! They adored my yellow squash and practically swore that it was creamed corn. They thought I was just fooling with them! I would cook the young yellow squash with a little onion until almost tender, add butter, a little salt and black pepper and process until it resembled creamed corn - a few seconds. Delicious!

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." -- Benjamin Franklin

No, not my parents. My dad was an AB+ and my mother was an A+ ...Unless you're referring to her being an Ao?

Wow, your DH doesn't like beans and vegetables? I love vegies and beans. I love bean soups, like Cuban Black Bean and Split Pea soup, all the Indian Dahls I love.. If you can get him to eat a bean soup, you can hide vegies in it. Sneaky Chef would use bean puree' and hide it in other foods.

Oh, it was your mother who was an Ao....which most of us wouldn't know this much about our own parents....but given DH's mother for sure was an O, that makes him an Ao. He doesn't hate beans and vegetables as much as he doesn't seem satisfied on a plant protein meal.....He just doesn't seem like he digests all that plant fiber as well as he does protein from eggs, turkey and fish.. This might take some time because this is all new -- the experience of these plant foods plus his gut never handled this much fiber before.

There were days prior to him starting his Warrior diet when he used to eat a salad as his only source of veggies...And this was his doing, not mine..Just a picky eater...worse than most toddlers... Yes, I agree... a sneaky chef (which I'm starting to become) has figured out how to put beans in a soup that was pureed in the Vitamix which thickens it to the point where it seems to resemble a cream soup. And because he can't have chicken (toxin) it's not like I can even use chicken stock as a base. Going to have to make a turkey stock.

Cooking for two people with totally different foods is difficult. I know many of you do this....Even making a batch of muffins isn't going to work for both of us....I can use almond flour,rice flour as a common ingredient but when it comes to eggs, I don't tolerate them and DH does.

And I get manchego cheese, ghee and yogurt. DH gets kefir, cottage cheese and ricotta.

Ideally, I can make him lasagna or stuffed shells out of spelt noodles, pasta sauce and ricotta using ground turkey instead of beef...I can't have the tomato sauce, the ricotta or the spelt noodles.

Sometimes it's just easier to eat out....get fish, veggies and brown rice at our local diner whichhas many organic options.

Who would think that cooking for 2 blood type A people would be so complicated. It is!

Spring....thanks for your squash soup recipe....can't wait to try it

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Chloe,I agree that Ao people may need more protein. At least I know it is true of me and I know I have read other posts on this forum in the past referring to this.I love carbs but really need to have some amount of protein at most meals to feel my best. I didn't eat red meat since way before starting BTD but worried that I might have to cut back on my fish and poultry. My swami gives me 3 servings of poultry and 5 servings of fish and 9 servings of veggie proteins weekly. I also get 5 servings of dairy. So out of 21 meals a week I am allowed 17 with protein. My food diary shows that I have some sort of protein at every meal!

Ao ISFJ Taster Rh+

"God gave us the gift of life. It is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." Voltaire"Whisper words of wisdom. Let it be." Sir Paul McCartney

Very interesting thread. I finally figured out that I've been eating way too many eggs. As a kid I was allergic to egg whites and guess what I got - lots of mucous. For the longest time I was craving 2 jumbo organic eggs scrambled in ghee for breakfast. I always added a little nutritional yeast on top when I ate them. People started asking me about how congested I sounded all the time and I finally (duh!!!!) made the connection. I've switched to chia shakes and I'm a little better. Travelling this weekend and I won't have access to my chia shakes so I might have to have eggs for breakfast. It will be interesting to see how I feel. I may just bring a small cooler and bring Amande yogurt.

Another way to make the veggie soup is to start with a "base" purchased in an asceptic container. I have found a couple at Trader Joe's that have compliant ingredients. Add your own veggies and beans. Last week I made one with TJ's sweet potato soup, adding sauteed peppers, garlic, onions and adzuki beans. Delicious!

The sun, with all those planets around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.

Oh, it was your mother who was an Ao....which most of us wouldn't know this much about our own parents....but given DH's mother for sure was an O, that makes him an Ao.

And I tried Dr. James D'Adamo's diet for Ao's. He said I should be eating 6-8 servings of meatand he ok'd chicken. So I decided to try it for a few weeks..and I gained weight.. Had to go back to my SWAMI ish.. It would have been ok if I was younger, but my hormones require a more fine tuned, diet now. I think meat even poultry is too hormonal for me.

Well my house is A, O and B. It would be hard if they wanted to follow the diet. I just managed to get oldest to like almond milk now and he only likes the vanilla. It would be a lot easier for you if you and your husband both could just follow the basic A diet wouldn't it? Oh well. We are individual.

Chloe- instead of making a baked pasta dish, why not make a dinner that consists of a few different selections that you can each take what you need? It sounds like you can both have rice pasta or rice, and that you can both eat many of the same beans and animal proteins (poultry and fish) but you need different proportions of each. Instead of spelt pasta, you could make rice pasta with a pureed bean and veggie sauce and some fish or poultry on the side. Or put a variety of dishes on the table, some mutually compliant and some (such as cheeses) good for only one of you, and you each assemble your plates with the proportions that fill you up and make you feel good.

I, for one, can see no purpose in cooking spelt noodles for one family member when rice noodles are good for both of you.

Chloe- instead of making a baked pasta dish, why not make a dinner that consists of a few different selections that you can each take what you need? It sounds like you can both have rice pasta or rice, and that you can both eat many of the same beans and animal proteins (poultry and fish) but you need different proportions of each. Instead of spelt pasta, you could make rice pasta with a pureed bean and veggie sauce and some fish or poultry on the side. Or put a variety of dishes on the table, some mutually compliant and some (such as cheeses) good for only one of you, and you each assemble your plates with the proportions that fill you up and make you feel good.

I, for one, can see no purpose in cooking spelt noodles for one family member when rice noodles are good for both of you.

Do you have a recipe for a veggie/bean sauce? Never made it before.

We can both have turkey and a few similar fish....He won't eat salmon...I won't eat fish high inheavy metals and prefer he doesn't either.... I can have chicken, he can't. We both get verysmall portions of grains anyway.....so it's almost easier using brown rice because it just steams in a rice cooker and requires no assembly. Just thought spelt pasta would work better for lasagna.... because it tastes more like wheat than rice does. And I have found a sprouted Ezekial wheat pasta which he can eat and rates higher than rice, so rather stick with his highest rated foods. Many nights I eat vegan...which is where the protein issue conflicts. I would have tofubut he won't feel full on plant proteins for dinner. Tried that and all night he stood with therefrigerator door open saying "what can I have for a snack?" I'm fine on vegan meals....so eitherway, I'm often taking tofu chunks, lots of veggies, drizzling on EVOO, tamari, toasted sesameoil, lots of herbs and just covering and baking it in the oven. He wouldn't be thrilled eatingthat way... THought at the same time if I were baking a lasagna, and could cut into portions and freeze, I'd have at least a few meals that would be simple on nights I wanted to just re-heat and focus on my own dinner.

For a guy who used to live on big bowls of wheat pasta, a serving portion now for pasta is so small for him that he'd look at the measured amount of food on his plate and think I was kidding him.

THis is a guy who would not eat beans for dinner....only if it were in soup...and that's startingto become my saving grace...If he eats any soup, or a big salad and soup, then dinner can be much smaller.

Focusing this week on finding good soup recipes...Only I can't have tomatoes but can havechicken stock...He can't have chicken stock but can have tomatoes. Rather just make soup hecan eat....and then make a separate batch for myself and freeze in portions for both of us.

I'm relying heavily on my freezer to make this easier. .

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

No not at all....weighs the same he did when we got married....but carries weight when he isoverweight in belly (and started to develop high blood pressure)...On his mother's side, they were all diabetic....so watching his intake of non essential carbs very carefully. Ideally beans would be his best plant protein along with lots of veggies.. My goal is to get him focused on what's best for his health. He's remarkably compliant, although a complainer because he just LOVES somereally B A D foods!...

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Do make a veggie/bean sauce, you basically take a thick veggie soup and puree it.

It's not a bad idea to make a huge lasagna or baked ziti and freeze in individual portions, so you can quickly reheat something for him on "vegan nights" for you. One advantage to baked pasta dishes is that you can fill them up with lots of veggies, meat, and/or cheeses so you get a nice, big portion without actually eating a lot of grain. You could even add cooked beans or lentils. With a big bowl of pasta on the table and sauces on the side, it's much easier to over-eat the grains.

I'm like Acadian is impressive likeness in his speech! my parents are A and O as I am a teacher and I also want meat ... that's why I often think that I'm explosive and yet I love bread, I declined but I can not do without any of it is psychological! My cheese is sheep! plus I'm in the right area: the Pyrenees so I just sheep's cheese that I want! I sometimes feel like red meat suddenly when I have not eaten for a long time! I am looking for a product in France allowing me to better digest gluten or dairy products .... because I can not completely do without .. as if I reduce my transit must be OK if I make a slip is not good at all ..... since shortly here as soon as spring is here whereas before it was returned to the intestine

You might need red meat once a month or so- far less than the 5 times per week that I need it, but it still might be something that your body needs for optimal health. Sheep, lamb, or goat is probably a better choice than beef for an A.

You might need red meat once a month or so- far less than the 5 times per week that I need it, but it still might be something that your body needs for optimal health. Sheep, lamb, or goat is probably a better choice than beef for an A.

Ruthie.... how much meat do you require for optimal health per month? Just curious.

I'm like Acadian is impressive likeness in his speech! my parents are A and O as I am a teacher and I also want meat ... that's why I often think that I'm explosive and yet I love bread, I declined but I can not do without any of it is psychological! My cheese is sheep! plus I'm in the right area: the Pyrenees so I just sheep's cheese that I want! I sometimes feel like red meat suddenly when I have not eaten for a long time! I am looking for a product in France allowing me to better digest gluten or dairy products .... because I can not completely do without .. as if I reduce my transit must be OK if I make a slip is not good at all ..... since shortly here as soon as spring is here whereas before it was returned to the intestine

Can you find Gluten Ease? It's the only and only supplement I know about that works. At least it'sworked very well for me. I cannot digest cheese without it....and cheese for a type A Teacher ishealing for the gut. It gives our bodies low overgrowth food.

Although my diet doesn't include red meat, when I start thinking about it and feel I want to eat itI eat lamb. It randomly hits me that I want it....sometimes every few months.... I would suggest you choose lamb over beef or chicken livers over beef liver. Most Teachers would do okay on those two"meats".

And I too do fine on sheep's milk cheese...Manchego -- yum!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Ruthie.... how much meat do you require for optimal health per month? Just curious.

SWAMI says 5 times per week, which I guess comes to 20-22 times per month. I've found that if I have less than 2 servings per week, I start to get depressed and lethargic- so a minimum of 8 times per month, just to maintain minimal health. I have never once experienced the feeling of "I've had too much meat lately and really can't stomach the thought of eating it again." My kids (Os and a B) do experience that if they have meat too many times in a week. I don't know if there's a maximum amount of meat where my health would decline if I ate too much of it.

But I'm a type O. I was responding to an A who occasionally felt a craving for red meat; that perhaps for her personally once a month might be a good amount.

Can you find Gluten Ease? It's the only and only supplement I know about that works. At least it'sworked very well for me. I cannot digest cheese without it....and cheese for a type A Teacher ishealing for the gut. It gives our bodies low overgrowth food.http://www.enzymedica.com/products/GlutenEase !

Well, you might want to read about it and see what you think.. This formula digests both casein and gluten.....and for me, I have both issues. A lot of gluten intolerant people have both issues -- reada lot of forums where people have discussed this and are affected by both.. Lactose which a milk sugar is a different entity. Casein is milk protein...so whatever enzymes are in this formula, it addresses both gluten and casein. Best enzyme I've ever tried and it's allowed me to digestmy one and only beneficial cheese, manchego... I don't eat gluten so I'm not taking it for that.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Chloe, reading all the in and outs of the two diets you are trying to "blend" makes me think I would feel that a bomb had gone off in my kitchen if I had to deal with that at my age. Especially with health issues that need attention right away. I am sure you have had plenty of order in your profession as the top chef in your kitchen through the years, and this has to be a very life-changing upheaval for you. I do hope your husband appreciates the position you are in and is as amiable as possible with the whole thing. And I hope you soon get this all worked out so you will feel comfortable with this new regimen and don't wake up in the morning wondering, "What on earth am I going to be able to put together today?"

It has been a year since I actually dragged out my SWAMI stuff and got serious about following it after being on the other diets for many years. I am finally getting comfortable with the changes, and that makes it easier to cook for everyone else because everyone is at least an A-Type except our two ddil's who are O-Types. I must say that I still don't like the fact that I can't cook with tomatoes, and that lemons are still bothering my stomach! I find myself wishing every single day that I could tolerate lemon.....

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." -- Benjamin Franklin

Chloe, reading all the in and outs of the two diets you are trying to "blend" makes me think I would feel that a bomb had gone off in my kitchen if I had to deal with that at my age. Especially with health issues that need attention right away. I am sure you have had plenty of order in your profession as the top chef in your kitchen through the years, and this has to be a very life-changing upheaval for you. I do hope your husband appreciates the position you are in and is as amiable as possible with the whole thing. And I hope you soon get this all worked out so you will feel comfortable with this new regimen and don't wake up in the morning wondering, "What on earth am I going to be able to put together today?"

It has been a year since I actually dragged out my SWAMI stuff and got serious about following it after being on the other diets for many years. I am finally getting comfortable with the changes, and that makes it easier to cook for everyone else because everyone is at least an A-Type except our two ddil's who are O-Types. I must say that I still don't like the fact that I can't cook with tomatoes, and that lemons are still bothering my stomach! I find myself wishing every single day that I could tolerate lemon.....

Spring...I really appreciate your sentiments....but honestly, there are so many people on the forum feeding a family of many different blood types/genotypes that are also working outside ofthe home. At least I'm home and not working... I literally don't know how they're doing this if jugglingmore individualized meals than I am.... Maybe they have no time to post

Fortunately, we have a very large local diner not far from home that not only has awesome fresh fish, their menu is huge, and they also have an organic menu which at least gives us theoption of brown rice, mixed vegetables, organic greens for a salad.. The owner of this Greekrestaurant seems to place a high value on very good quality food. They also have beans onthe menu and so, pretty often, we just eat out and find it easier to ask for "simply grilled fish, sauces on the side, please no dipping anything in flour, plain brown rice, steamed veggies, a large salad with EVOO and lemon wedges". Also, I've asked the kitchen to stir fry me some onions in EVOO, add chopped veggies and serve it on top of brown rice with black beans. They allow me to make up my own dishes..THe waiters all know how we eat so they're very accommodating. I also can get them to cut freshturkey in thick slices (aka Thanksgiving instead of making it paper thin as they would for a sandwich...With a natural broth on top, I'm happy. This takes a huge amount of pressure off mehaving to figure out two meals every night and constantly waiting to see if DH is satisfied...But stillI pack his lunch every day and make us both breakfast and spend a lot of time buying food....I think we all spend a lot of time on our food, right?

I wish there were GTD restaurants!

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

We make it seem that way. More than 95% of the menu we can't eat! But we do have optionsof trout, scrod, red snapper, tuna and if we don't mind eating brown rice every time we go thereit's at least a beneficial for us both.

They have many simply prepared veggies that are compliant but not organic...I sometimes just go with compliant.

Every day they roast their own turkeys, so that's always great for both of us. Oh and organic eggs...but nothing to go with them except brown rice and veggies. And DH is upset that he can't havecheese. He wants me to bring rice cheese from home so they can make him an omelette. Ohand he wants me to also bring him a spelt English Muffin. I keep laughing at him...If I bringenough stuff from home, we might as well eat at home... Sometimes it all seems too repetitiveeating out....but then again, eating at home with a picky eater can become even more repetitive.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

Chloe, this is wonderful that you have a place nearby that at least has fresh food and a great approach to cooking it! I know many older people who eat out every day simply because it gets them out of the house and around other people. But I would hate to think that I had to eat at places where the food is not compatible with my diet. Sounds like you have a winner!

Oh, BTW, I got a note tonight from my friend about the enzymes you mentioned, and they have already done their research and are very excited about adding this to their supplements! I plan to order some myself just to have on hand, not only for myself, but for people I know who visit often that have trouble with gluten/dairy. Thanks again!

"We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid." -- Benjamin Franklin

Chloe, this is wonderful that you have a place nearby that at least has fresh food and a great approach to cooking it! I know many older people who eat out every day simply because it gets them out of the house and around other people. But I would hate to think that I had to eat at places where the food is not compatible with my diet. Sounds like you have a winner!

Oh, BTW, I got a note tonight from my friend about the enzymes you mentioned, and they have already done their research and are very excited about adding this to their supplements! I plan to order some myself just to have on hand, not only for myself, but for people I know who visit often that have trouble with gluten/dairy. Thanks again!

I'm happy to hear you passed the enzyme info onto your friend

I'm starting to realize that what often seems like an intolerance to a food is likely the enzyme lacking to digest that food. I don't think I could have ever properly healed my gut without digestiveenzymes. I also take Digest Gold before large meals.

"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.....they know how to make the best of everything!"

I did not suspect that I had gluten intolerance (celiac) at all. When I saw the results of my analyses, boy, did that wake me up.

Within fifteen minutes of being "glutenned," my environmental allergies are in full force - watery eyes, sneezing, wheezing, body aches, general malaise, etc. I did not know this before because I was 1, getting a steady dose of it, and 2, on high levels of multiple allergy medications.

do you have the same reactions also with spelt or emmer or rye Normally when somebody is gluten sensitive... better to stay away from all kinds of gluten's .... and then there are some different treatments allowing to cut down gluten... so far equal if this might be wheat or whatever....gluten was cut down...and no more reactions to expect then ! ....

Within fifteen minutes of being "glutenned," my environmental allergies are in full force - watery eyes, sneezing, wheezing, body aches, general malaise, etc. I did not know this before because I was 1, getting a steady dose of it, and 2, on high levels of multiple allergy medications.

My reaction to gluten is quite different. If I eat it for breakfast say, I'll get horrid indigestion the entire day from every meal after that and into the night with acid reflux, vomiting, pain in my stomach and nausea in the morning.. It's very insidious, gluten..If I didn't know to stop the gluten, because I was tested, I would think the indigestion was from something else... It's always the same. When I stop the gluten, the pain and all symptoms go away. I also get irritible on it too. I can say that thinking back, my nose is a little less stuffed..which will be much better once I get totally off dairy. I started getting the same symptoms from oats too.. I even bought $5 gluten free oats and got the same symptoms.. so no oats either..

So how long does it take for the desire to go away? Years? The holidays were very hard for me. The black bean brownies helped.. I loved wheat..anything wheat.

I bet most people who take Nexium and Prilosec are gluten intolerant and don't even know it.

I can see why wheat germ is an avoid for me. The Wheat Belly Cookbook discusses the lectin in wheat germ that is toxic to humans and predators. Very interesting.

The lectin of wheat, wheat germ agglutinin, is toxic. Found at highest concentration in wheat germ that many people regard as especially healthy, it has peculiar effects at many levels in wheat predators such as humans. Unlike gluten and gliadin, whose toxic potential is amplified in the genetically susceptible through HLA DQ genes, wheat germ agglutinin can do its damage directly, no genetic assistance required.

the same thing happened to me, once I removed gluten from the diet I became more sensitive. It's an interesting thing, perhaps we also become more tuned in to how we feel because we don't have background issues going on all the time?Lin

I have cut all of them Isa, just when there is hidden gluten I am more and more sensitive

You should find this interesting:

"Another caution: The longer you are wheat free, the more likely you will develop undesirable reactions when re-exposed, inadvertently or intentionally. I call these awful experiences wheat “re-exposure reactions.”

Maria G. Mayflowers,you remind me I need to get back to that book which I started a while ago....fascinating but disturbing when you think about all the people you know eating wheat still. Lin

It makes me cringe when I see a "healthy whole grain wheat" commercial! The only thing we can do is to set a good example. I'm trying to tell my sons and they are ignoring me. The addiction grows... I know its addictive because I had withdrawals when I stopped. Everything from cravings, irritiability to anxiety and depression for a few weeks. Now it's all gone but it's a daily struggle just like with any addictive substance. I walk by the bakery department in the grocery store and it smells heavenly... I must be strong! The more I stay away from it, the easier it gets. I also got the mental effects from wheat as well as acid reflux and indigestion. I had depression and increased anxiety.

Don't worry, more and more people will realize what wheat is and they will stop it..